La Sportiva News Beth Rodden Redpoints Meltdown- 5.14c After 5 months of working it out, Beth Rodden has redpointed the first ascent of Meltdown (5.14c). Meltdown is the world's hardest traditional rock climb done by a woman. Yosemite National Park, California. This news is so new check back to see the write up!

What is the Cobra Crack rated? I know Trotter did that one, what a year ago?

5.14, no letter grade (AFAIK). Copied and pasted from freakclimbing.com:

"The rating seems to be falling in around the 5.14b/c (8c/c+) mark. It deserves a variable grade because of it's thin nature. For some, the climb may feel like 5.14a/b, for others the climb may feel like 5.14c/d and on some rare occassions it could very well be impossible. So, for now, it's certainly the hardest pure crack climb in the world"

Edited because I've just realized that, although the title reads "14c crack", the discussion seems to be about the hardest "trad" and therefore sungam post was right on the spot. I'm not so sure, though, how to translate Macleod's Rhapsody E11 7a to YDS.... 14c R? 14d R?

I wasn't sure what the grade was. I knew that it was one continuous crack and super thin.

I don't think anyone will know until it's repeated, either. I kinda doubt anybody's gonna call it .15a though, I'm personally a fan of the + or - system. I'd be stoked to see a pic of the line that rodden climbed.

La Sportiva News Beth Rodden Redpoints Meltdown- 5.14c After 5 months of working it out, Beth Rodden has redpointed the first ascent of Meltdown (5.14c). Meltdown is the world's hardest traditional rock climb done by a woman. Yosemite National Park, California. This news is so new check back to see the write up!

Good on her! I have a question, you say "5 months of working it out". I had seen a video of her on a Smith Rock climb and in the video she was shown repeatedly and endlessly toproping the thing, and new bolts for free climbing had sprouted up since I'd last aided that line.

Is that what that 5 months working it quote means?

BTW, I'm not being mean here, I just want to know if that is what it means, I know Yosemite has a different thing going with all that kind of stuff and I'm genuinely curious - thats all.

La Sportiva News Beth Rodden Redpoints Meltdown- 5.14c After 5 months of working it out, Beth Rodden has redpointed the first ascent of Meltdown (5.14c). Meltdown is the world's hardest traditional rock climb done by a woman. Yosemite National Park, California. This news is so new check back to see the write up!

Good on her! I have a question, you say "5 months of working it out". I had seen a video of her on a Smith Rock climb and in the video she was shown repeatedly and endlessly toproping the thing, and new bolts for free climbing had sprouted up since I'd last aided that line.

Is that what that 5 months working it quote means?

BTW, I'm not being mean here, I just want to know if that is what it means, I know Yosemite has a different thing going with all that kind of stuff and I'm genuinely curious - thats all.

well, it appears that "Meltdown" was done with all natural gear. So, even if she siege-projected it, she still redpointed it in good, ground-up trad style.

I do think it is interesting that the only 14b and 14c that Rodden has done have been FA's, and both have been unrepeated (Caldwell came close to sending "Optimist," but backed of because he was afraid he would break a hold. And perhaps because Rodden threatened him with no sex for a year if he sent it.).

It would be nice if either this, or "Optimist" (or Cobra Crack, for that matter) got repeated, to confirm the grades. Although, if Ron Kauk tried "Meltdown" when he was at his prime, and could not send it, this indicates that it is really difficult.

I think it was a hard 8c+, not quite 9a. I think He and Sonnie discribed it as 5.14DRX or something. who knows. JP implies that the crux of his new route is like font 8. http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=284644 :-o